Author's note- Nothing much to say about this chapter. It's shorter than the others, but it's alright. Yeah. Oh yes, review it please! If you read it, review it! Por favor! Si vous plait! Pllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssssse!


--Chapter 4: The King's Council--


The King sat at the head of the long table, and stared at the many lords and ladies of his kingdom. They were there to discuss, to vote, to decide the fate of the country. They were the council. King Charles Xavier sighed and began to take roll.

"Lord Alexander of Cyclops."

"Present"

"Lord Walter of Pheonix."

"Here."

"Lady Raven of Miracles."

"I'm here."

"Lord Kelly of Commons."

"Present, your majesty."

"Lady Amberasia of Tempesta."

"At your service, my lord."

"Lady Lee of Sparx."

"I am here."

"Lord Pryde of Kythe."

"Here."

"Lord Magneto of Stelen."

"Present."

"Very well then. I thank you all, ladies and gentlemen, for coming. I hope you understand the seriousness of this meeting of the council."

The members nodded gravely.

"Your majesty, if you will, I wish to bring up a point," Lord Kelly of Commons said calmly but soon his voice gave way into a yell, "Why the devil are all the oracles, the messengers of the goddesses no doubt, ones born different? Explain how this could be! Perhaps they have planned together to get political power."

Several of the council members glared at him. Although there were no known differents present (as the king kept his powers a secret from all but a few trusted ones), many of the council members had sons and daughters of the different variety.

"Don't give me that look, Cyclops!" Kelly continued, "You would agree with me if it wasn't for your son! Your son who will put the needs of his kind before those of the common folk! Ever thought of that? Your majesty, I'd like to take the opportunity to mention that Commons will not remain a part of Xodus if Scott Summers becomes our next king.

"That goes for me as well," Lady Amberasia spoke up, "but I'd be willing to compromise. If Scott becomes king, I will not succeed if he does not marry Jean Grey. If we have a woman to rule beside him who is not a different, perhaps the judgment will be evened out."

"Are you questioning my daughter's integrity?" the lord of Phoenix spoke up.

"She is a different. Differents only think about their own will. If she is queen, and Scott is king, who knows what disasters will befall the kingdom." Lady Amberasia retorted.

"I'm glad to see that I am not the only one with clear judgment in this room," Lord Kelly said.

"Clear judgment?" the Lord of Cyclops was infuriated, "Was your judgment clear when you made the proposition that only Commons and Tempesta be aloud to remain on the council because their heirs were not of the different persuasion? Was it clear when you challenged the king's authority to rule last council? You bigot!"

"It's clearer than all of you who only want your children to have power and refuse to think of the effects it will have on the kingdom! If I had my way, they would be dead!"

"You're a sadist!" Lord Pryde yelled.

"Traitor!"

Lord Cyclops was furious, "Murderer! Sadistic murderer! I wouldn't be surprised if you were behind the treasonous attack of my estate you bastard!"

"I'll kill him!" He screamed and drew his sword. Lady Lee screamed. One of the mirrors in the room cracked.

"Enough!" bellowed the King, "Lord Kelly, Lord Alexander, will you please take your seats!"

The entire time, Lord Magneto had smiled knowingly at King Xavier. The king looked at him back with an expressionless face, but Magneto got the pleasure of knowing that he had won.

"Very well, your majesty," Lord Kelly was slightly embarrassed at his outburst, "but remember that I will succeed."

"That is a matter to be discussed at a later time, Lord Kelly. We have more important matters to talk about. As it stands, I have no intention of changing my decision, nor can I lord over Scott and tell him whom to marry. If a war breaks out, it will be at your own hands. Now let's get down to business, shall we?"

"What sort of business are we talking about?" Lord Kelly was shocked that this discussion was not to revolve around the heir to the throne.

"The fifth oracle, of course," Lady Raven spoke up.

"Yes, your daughter," Lord Pryde said rather disrespectfully. He had no sympathy for the Lady of Miracles for he had given up his daughter as the first oracle when the girl was thirteen. Her name had been Katherine. Not even the pain of other families as they had given their children up had eased his suffering. He had loved his little daughter whose life had just begun.

"Rogue truly acts like her namesake," Lady Lee scoffed, "running away from duty." Lady Lee had given her daughter, Jubilation, as the third oracle at an even younger age. She had never gotten to see her girl grow up and therefore felt no sympathy to Lady Raven for Rogue's reckless behavior. The only council members who had no emotional tie to their oracle was Lady Amberasia of Tempesta and the house of Mist, with the fourth oracle, the oracle of storms, and Lord Walter of Embyr and the house of Phoenix with the second oracle, the oracle of light.

Lady Raven glared, "She's insolent, I admit. Perhaps if I had let her out at a young age, she'd be quicker to obey. I thought I could control her."

"She's a different! That should explain everything!" Lord Kelly brought up the tender subject again, but was ignored.

"Furthermore, I am informed that the captain of your guard refused to help find my daughter," Lady Raven accused.

"Sir Logan's job is to guard the castle, not to deal with domestic affairs," the king simply said, "Why aren't your guards looking?"

"They are your majesty, but she's a slippery eel."

"Your majesty, if I may interrupt, I'm just curious as to know what you anticipate to happen when we do apprehend Lady Rogue and make her take her place as the fifth oracle," Lady Amberasia asked.

"In truth, I know not. But the effects of the discovery of Lady Rogue are already being felt. There is a summoning," the King said sagely.

"A summoning of what?" Lady Lee asked.

"The summoning of X, of course," the kings voice was mysterious and cryptic.

"What will X do? I don't see any chaos!" Lord Kelly exclaimed.

"I know not. Perhaps there is chaos going on before our very eyes and we just don't see because we're all blind to it."

"Perhaps."

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish I could comfort you with words of confidence, but I'm afraid I have to be realistic. When the fifth oracle is found, not I, not you, not event the oracles have power over what happens. Whatever may happen, we will be in the hands of the goddesses," the king said gravely.

There was an uncomfortable mumble around the table, and suddenly the room felt much colder. There is nothing hated more by authority than the feeling of being at the mercy of something they cannot control. The fear was so thick that it was nearly tangible. Lady Raven finally broke the silence.

"Shall I continue my efforts to locate the oracle?"

The king nodded, "I believe that this will be the best approach. Very well. Unless anyone else has a concern, the meeting is adjourned."

No one spoke up.

Rising and delicately moving their hand from their head, to their heart, and stretched it out before them, each and every member chanted, "May you go with the goddesses." Then, everyone rose and left their separate ways. Few spoke on the way out, the chill of the turn of events. Only Lord Magneto stayed behind.

"If that wasn't more proof of what I have told you, I don't know what is!" he began.

"Joseph! I have no desire to hear it!"

"How can you expect to rule a kingdom like this? These commons want nothing to do with our kind! They'll kill us all if we don't stop them!"

"I've told you this before, Joseph. If we do not work for peace, we'll never find it. Simple as that."

"What will you do when they find out about you? When the assassins come after you in the night?"

"Pray that Logan is on the prowl."

"Listen to Lord Kelly! What can you do if you can't even trust your own council?"

"I pray. I hope. I have faith. That's all any of us can do. I bid you good day, Joseph."

The king vanished into the hallway, and Magneto left soon afterward.

***

Lady Raven smiled at the tied up figure next to her as the carriage sped away toward the city of miracles.

"So, are you interested in talking now?"

"Mais non! Not now, not ever!"

"You're as stubborn as she is!"

"Perhaps."

"Show me that note you were so intently reading last night."

"A man has a right to his privacy!"

"Not when he is a hostage, I'm afraid." She reached into Remy's pocked and pulled out the carefully folded note, while starting to unfold it. He grinned as it exploded in her face.

"Why you!" She screamed.

In a burst of strength, he slipped through the ropes and leapt through the carriage window, rolling down the side of the road and slipping out of sight.

"Fool!" Lady Raven laughed.

"But m'lady, he got away," her driver began.

"He'll go straight for her! He'll lead us right to the kill!"

"But what if he doesn't know where she is?" the driver asked.

"Of course he doesn't. But he's a thief. Thieves can find anything that is of value to them in some way. In this case, it is of extremely important value."

"So what do you want to do?"

"I want you to track him. But unharness one of the horses. I have an important journey to make."

The coachman unhooked a chesnut stallion named Yank, and Lady Raven Darkholme, rode bareback into the distance.

When she was a safe distance away, she began to change. Blue skin. Red hair. Elfin qualities. Then, she changed again. Cocoa, velvety skin. Silver white hair. Off to the temple of the fourth oracle. She didn't count on Logan being there.